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Play
verb (past & past part. played; pres. part. playing) 1.Participate in games or sport. "Play cards" , "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches" 2.Act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome. "This development played into her hands" , "I played no role in your dismissal" 4.Play a role or part. Synonyms: act, represent. "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role" , "She played the servant to her husband's master" 5.Be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children. "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" 6.Replay (as a melody). Synonym: spiel. "She played the third movement very beautifully" 7.Perform music on (a musical instrument). "Can you play on this old recorder?" 8.Pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind. Synonyms: act, act as. "She plays deaf when the news are bad" 9.Move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly. 10.Bet or wager (money). "She plays the races" 11.Engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion. Synonym: recreate. "The students all recreate alike" 12.Pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity. "Play cowboy and Indians" 13.Emit recorded sound. "The stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered" 14.Perform on a certain location. "She has been playing on Broadway for years" 15.Put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game. "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory" 16.Engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously. Synonym: toy. "Play the stock market" , "Play with her feelings" , "Toy with an idea" 17.Behave in a certain way. "Play it safe" , "Play fair" 18.Cause to emit recorded audio or video. Synonym: run. "I'll play you my favorite record" , "He never tires of playing that video" 19.Manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination. Synonyms: diddle, fiddle, toy. "Don't fiddle with the screws" , "He played with the idea of running for the Senate" 20.Use to one's advantage. 21.Consider not very seriously. Synonyms: dally, trifle. "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania" 22.Be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way. "His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee" 24.Cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space. 25.Perform on a stage or theater. Synonyms: act, playact, roleplay. "He acted in 'Julius Caesar'" , "I played in 'A Christmas Carol'" 26.Be performed or presented for public viewing. "'Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years" 27.Cause to happen or to occur as a consequence. Synonyms: bring, make for, work, wreak. "Wreak havoc" , "Bring comments" , "Play a joke" , "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area" 28.Discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream. "The fountains played all day" 29.Make bets. "Play the casinos in Trouville" 30.Stake on the outcome of an issue. Synonyms: bet, wager. "She played all her money on the dark horse" 31.Shoot or hit in a particular manner. 33.Employ in a game or in a specific position. 34.Contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle. Synonyms: encounter, meet, take on. "Charlie likes to play Mary" 35.Exhaust by allowing to pull on the line. noun 1.A dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage. Synonyms: drama, dramatic play. 2.A theatrical performance of a drama. 3.A preset plan of action in team sports. 4.A deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill. Synonyms: maneuver, manoeuvre. "The runner was out on a play by the shortstop" 5.A state in which action is feasible. "Insiders said the company's stock was in play" 6.Utilization or exercise. 7.An attempt to get something. Synonym: bid. "He made a bid to gain attention" 8.Activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules. Synonym: child's play. 10.The removal of constraints. Synonym: free rein. "They gave full play to the artist's talent" 11.A weak and tremulous light. Synonym: shimmer. "The play of light on the water" 12.Verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously). Synonyms: fun, sport. "He said it in sport" 14.Gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement. Synonyms: caper, frolic, gambol, romp. "Their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly" 15.(game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession. Synonym: turn. "It is still my play" 16.The act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize). Synonyms: gambling, gaming. "There was heavy play at the blackjack table" 17.The act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully. Synonym: swordplay.
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WordNet 3.0 © 2010 Princeton University
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